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The following comment was posted to the Afreximbank: Whose Hands Will Build the Future? by BU family member Artax.

Since the issue of “ordinary citizens becoming financially successful” and “creating generational wealth” has been raised, recall ‘government’ built the new Fairchild Street Market Village, with parking space for the vendors.

Unfortunately, however, rather than utilising the various car parks in Bridgetown, people working in the city and its environs are using the market’s car park for FREE PARKING, thereby DENYING ACCESS to vendors who PAY RENT.

Despite SEVERAL COMPLAINTS from vendors, the market authorities have not done anything to address the situation.

However, it seems as though successive BLP and DLP administrations have NOT given any serious consideration to agriculture, creative arts, sports, vending or other micro to medium sized businesses, preferring instead to allocate government’s financial resources to tourism.

Look at sports, for example. Over the years, both political administrations continued to ‘make sport at sports.’

The National Stadium, for example, which was officially opened in October 1970, DETERIORATED under the watch of both the DEMS and BEES, since successive ministers of sport obviously chose not to make any significant repairs or improvements to the venue. 

It was only in 2006 when FIFA condemned the stadium ‘unfit for purpose,’ the authorities decided to ‘pay lip service.’ In other words, they provided Barbadians with an insincere expression of building a new stadium, but without any genuine commitment to do so.
The stands were eventually closed to the public nine (9) years after, in April 2015, and their roofs removed in 2018.

Now, this current Mia Mottley administration signed an implementation agreement with the Chinese to build a new stadium.

Ironically, the politicians sold BNB to the Trinidadians; ICBL to the Bermudians, and presently a Jamaican company, Chukka, is managing Harrison’s Cave.

Remember in 2013, former Finance Minister Sinckler gave Sandals Resorts tax free concessions for 15 years, after which they will only be required to pay half of the “applicable rates and taxes prevailing” for the next 15 years.
Bearing such a ‘sweetheart deal’ in mind, Sandals’ first-choice rum is NOT any Barbadian brand, such as Mount Gay or Old Brigand, but Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum, while the first-choice coffee is Jamaica Blue Mountain Blend.

To quote your friend, Bushie……

What a place!

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19 responses to “Mia and the Duopoly Care!”

  1. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    And this is not the fault of the current crop of policy makers and implementers who were mostly unborn, or in diapers in 1966, but whatever became of the Federal Maple and the Federal Palm ships gifted to us at Independence and which were supposed to make travel of people and goods between these island nations a bit easier and more convenient.

  2. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    Excluding the Immigration Department is there any government entity that functions efficiently that you are aware of?

  3. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Ultimately Boss, like you always say, it is our collective fault.

    Can you imagine ANY multi-billion-dollar business that would DELIBERATELY hand its management and control over to the 30 examples of clowns that we have in charge?
    Wuh, they would EXPECT to go broke in a year…max.

    Even if you had a bread shop, would you not SEEK OUT competent, PROVEN, staff that can actually count, produce accounts, complete projects and communicate honestly with customers?

    Here we have handed a multi-billion operation over to a bunch of lawyers and economists, whose best known competencies are fabricating stories to suit their current paymasters, and telling lies convincingly.
    Most of them are personally poor and UNACCOMPLISHED, – except mysteriously after being elected – when success suddenly envelopes them..
    Arthur himself was heard to argue that he deserved the PM’s position – as he was finding difficulty in maintaining his family finances… He later make significant donations to charity.

    In TWO terms, this lot has managed to destroy buildings to build parks, sell and give away prime PUBLIC assets, enter shady and radical deals with racketeers, and give out jobs ‘cutting bush’ and playing football…while looking to China for salvation.
    All the many hands they got CANNOT MAKE ONE SHIITE WORK…!

    Why are we surprised that we are broke, begging, lost and hopeless?

    If God himself created a whole world …and all the life therein – as a means of head-hunting QUALIFIED TALENTS to join his kingdom, how much more so do you think a small. resourceless, plantation-legacy island, needs to LOOK FOR PROVEN TALENT if we want to enjoy success…

    “Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with big things. and whoever is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in big things too.”

    If we vote for sweet-talking Parros to run things we will end up in one big Ghetto….

    What a place

  4. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    To be honest, at this time, the only government entities that functions efficiently I can think of are the Police Service and the Auditor General’s Office.
    Ironically, both entities have over the years been functioning with limited manpower, yet delivering upon their respective mandates.

    However, the key functions of administration include planning, organising, staffing, directing, coordinating, budgeting, recording and reporting.
    The Auditor General’s Reports provides us with important information enabling us to apply those functions to all government entities, either individually or collectively.

    For example, the debacle with those houses in Lancaster, St. James and steel houses, are examples that PLANNING was indeed lacking in the housing ministry.
    Former Auditor General Leigh Trotman’s 18-year tenure was marked by PERSISTENT CALLS for greater autonomy, particularly in STAFFING and legal protections.

    Several statutory corporations, government and quasi government departments, while adhering to budgeting, as evidenced by the annual estimates of income and expenditure……

    …… are guilty of either not submitting financial statements or the relevant information to facilitate audits by the Audit Office, which are simply an obvious disregard for directing, planning, coordinating, recording and reporting.

  5. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    We cannot question the content of the AG reports or BPS ‘catch’ rate. However, can we conclude these entities are the most efficient given that we know both are undermanned?

  6. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @Bush Tea at 8:25 AM “Arthur himself was heard to argue that he deserved the PM’s position – as he was finding difficulty in maintaining his family finances.”

    How is it possible that a man with a master’s degree and a job and a wife who is a working qualified nurse, and with no kids [called DINKS, double income, no kids] have difficulty maintaining family finances?

    How?

  7. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    Neither of my parents went beyond elementary school. My mother stayed at home for 24 years raising their many children, and except for when there was a world war, and the baby born just before that war began and who nearly starved to death, but who is now a healthy 86, doing everything for himself, not one of us ever went to bed hungry, and ALL of us have lived past 65, and all but one of us past 70.

    So how can a married man with a working wife and 0 children not cope?

  8. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    How?

  9. David Avatar
    David

    The blogmaster thought long and hard to respond to you @simple. Do you believe that your simple and literal translation is worthy of two comments so far on the matter? Are you aware of his goals and aspirations for example? Are you aware of the state of his financial situation?

  10. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    Unschooled old man economics.

    The old man agreed to raise a cow for the calf it was pregnant with. He was young and healthy and could walk ’bout cutting grass and bush with a sickle. When the female calf was born he raised that calf to cowhood, and many others afterwards, so that his children were never without milk. Growing up we would have up to 4 gallons of milk per day, sold some, drank all the rest, or made our own butter with some, because there was no refrigeration and the cow would produce some more every 12 hours. I don’t know who told him that plentiful milk is good for little children and in 1940’s to 1960’s Barbados made the difference between a toddler dying and a toddler living to 5 and subsequently to 86+.

  11. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @David August 10, 2025 at 10:39 am “The blogmaster thought long and hard to respond to you @simple. Do you believe that your simple and literal translation is worthy of two comments so far on the matter?”

    Yes please Sir.

    We were born and raised in similar circumstances, Went to school within steps of each other, a good buddy of mine worked in the same office as he did during the ten years or so before he became PM. You tink I only know Owen after he became PM? I know he form the time he was in short pants.

    Lol!

    Chill do.

    Gone for a while, hafta wash my hair.

  12. David Avatar
    David

    Fortunately and thankfully you are NOT the only person on the blog armed with a history of OSA.

  13. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    LOL @ Simpleminded Simon…
    “You tink I only know Owen after he became PM?
    I know he form the time he was in short pants.”
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Clearly you are not his daughter’s mother, since you think he ‘had no kids’.
    One wonders why your ‘good acquaintance’ Owen kept this info from you…
    hee hee hee
    Sometimes you actually sound logical…
    …mostly when you are silent – and hopefully baking
    ..or washing yuh braids.

    What a SS!!

  14. John2 Avatar
    John2

    Poor bush 🙈

  15. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “However, can we conclude these entities are the most efficient given that we know both are undermanned?”

    @ David

    Your original question was, if I’m aware of any government entity that functions efficiently other than the Immigration Department…… and NOT “the MOST efficient,” as stated in your above question.

    As I mentioned in a previous contribution, the key functions of administration include planning, organising, staffing, directing, coordinating, budgeting, recording and reporting.

    My opinion was based on the fact that, despite being “undermanned,” in addition to other internal issues, the Police Service and Audit Office are able to fulfill their respective mandates, which reasonably indicates management of both entities are efficiently and effectively managing their scarce human resources.

    Planning, organising, staffing, directing and coordinating.

  16. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    We can agree to disagree.

  17. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    Agreed.

    However, since you seem to be using ‘manpower’ as a basis for efficiency,
    Transport Board has more bus drivers than buses, yet it has to be among the top five (5) most inefficient government entities in Barbados.

  18. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    If the issue is processed in a binary way yes but the substantive point has a worthy defense. Any unit although performing ‘adequately’ cannot achieve reaching its mandate fully. The AG has been quick to declare in his disclosures through the years.

  19. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    Agree with you.

    Obviously, your comments are applicable to Immigration as well…… a department you identified as operating efficiently.

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

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